Wild Cannot Be Tamed
by falseking
Summary: After a horrifying incident within The Maze, Gwen is forced to fight harder, fearing that now she was only half of who she used to be. But she's more than that, now. She fights harder, walks taller and runs even faster and she's not about to let some Newbie throw her off course. But she might take a small detour. Thomas/OC
1. Prologue

In life, there is a moment in your youth where life suddenly begins and I'm not talking about your first breath of air. With nothing in particular to trigger it, your brain turns on like a switch and though we were clearly created long before, we knew of nothing until that switch had been flipped. Our gears turned and we could recall everything up until we hit that wall. That's what I liked to believe, anyway. But I had experienced this phenomenon twice in my existence, I think. Everything before this new life was now a vast, black and empty space.

It's terrifying, really. To wake up and suddenly not remember what you had done the day prior, who gave you the name you couldn't remember and if there was any chance at all that a faceless person was searching for you, heartbroken over your sudden disappearance. But without the knowledge of any emotional connection, you can't find yourself to feel sorrow for them. Only yourself. Because in the end, that's all you have. I was not thriving for people I may not ever see. People that might not even be around anymore. I was here for me.

My family was nothing but a story to me. An imaginary world I had created to give me something to go back to when I closed my eyes for the night. None of it was real.

But this..

This was my reality.

Just under three years ago, I woke up in a box. I wouldn't have even known it was a box if I hadn't gone into a panic at the darkness, throwing myself around to cover as much space as possible to understand my surroundings. More than once I had collided with some large object, sending me tumbling forward and smacking my face into the wires that held me hostage. Quickly regaining my composure, I had picked myself up and grabbed at the sides, shaking them violently and doing all I could to pry it apart. I could feel something brushing against my knuckles-wind. But rather than it sweeping by sideways, it was going downward, like my coffin of metal was rising higher and higher. I sat back on my folded legs, still not letting go of the wires as I looked up to the blackness, sighing as I felt the rushing air cool my warm face, drying the sweat from my skin.

"Please," I screamed, begging. My high pitched voice breaking as the sound of metal on metal clanged and screeched flooded into my head.

"Please-someone-anyone," I said as a final plea, my throat now raw and vocal chords weak. Fingertips running down the unstable wall, hands falling to my side before I fall fallen to the side, letting exhaustion take over and deliver me to empty dreams.

Some time later, I was unsure of how long seeing as I had no concept of time here, I had awoken, though I thought I was dreaming. A dull, blue light had seeped into my vision and for a moment, I felt the smallest sense of relief, though that was terminated as I looked down to where the light had come from. Below me, a set of bulbs flickered to life, traveling upwards and heading straight for me. Once I had seen how high up I actually was, I had almost wished for blindness.

I laughed at the thought now.

How ironic.

As I stared down towards the pit beneath me, I felt myself sway. My face growing hot and my stomach churning even though I was almost positive it was empty and without much of a warning, I felt the flames of the internal fire lick at the walls of my esophagus and bile soon followed after, spilling from my lips and falling into the pit. My arms were shaking, struggling to support me as I vomited once again. Acrophobia and claustrophobia-two things I now knew about myself.

There was a rattle in the gears that hoisted me towards the sky-ceiling-whatever, before the agonizingly slow pace had been increased in an instant, the pressure of the air forcing me back down. Terror filled me in an instant and I began to hyperventilate, imaging my body being hurtled into the sky and left to fall to my death or crushed into the roof of whatever building this was.

I had hoped for the latter.

Or neither. Neither would have been preferred.

With great struggle, I was able to flip myself onto my back and was met with one of two fates I had envisioned become a reality. The rusted, thick steel ceiling was fast approaching and I couldn't hold back the screamed that shook my entire being, throwing myself into fetal position and waiting to collide with death. And as the cage shook to a halt I felt my arms curl around me even tighter, anticipating the crunch of bones I would only hear for the smallest of seconds. But there was only light.

Cracking my eyes open, curious, I watched with a furrowed brow as it crept along my skin, the microscopic hairs on the back of my hand now visible as they shined, though it was soon covered and hushed voices followed soon after. Whipping around, I saw nothing but black silhouettes of various heights and sizes. I saw small grins and and sparking eyes stare down at me.

"I'll get her-" I heard one man say, his arms unfolding and preparing to leap down, but was held back by another with his arm. "No, no. I-I got this one, Alby." "You sure?" I watched as the one with the tussled curls nod, looking down to me with concern. His partner seemed hesitant, but in the end agreed and stepped a little ways from the opening, but not far enough to leave my sight. The man next to this Alby character squatted down low, his arms resting over his legs, hands hung in the air.

"I'm comin' down now, a'right?"

Though I had been warned, the moment he leaped down there was a mess of noise all around me. The sound of his boots colliding with the metal, rattling it while I had clambered to the sides, pressing my back tightly to the corner, my chest heaving and completely drowning out the sounds of laughter from above. Remaining crouched, his hands immediately raised, showing himself as unarmed, but I felt no comfort. He began to slowly inch forward with his hands still up, reassuring that he wasn't going to hurt me. When I moved further, he would pause, his light eyes studying my movements very carefully and slowly, a single arm lowered down, his hand offered to me.

"My name is-" With blinding speed I moved towards the side, taking hold of any and everything I could and pulling it down so that it fell on top of the boy. He cried out in either pain or surprise but at the moment, I didn't care. I took advantage of the distraction and ran for it, not worrying about the pain as my body collided with the wall. Leaping up, I gripped the edge, fingers sinking into what felt like soil before lifting myself from the prison, pushing past the bodies that willingly let me go. My legs took charge and the wind whipped through my face as I focused on one thing-getting as far from here as possible. I took comfort in one thing-I may not know who I am but running came so naturally. It felt like my feet were barely touching the ground.. Like I was flying.

My lungs filled with the fresh, crisp air and my skin warmed beneath the sun as I raced across a field, heading straight for the woods I had planned to take shelter within. I heard the others shout after me. Some encouraging my action and others screaming for me to turn back around, sounding actually concerned over my destination. I didn't care. I wanted to hide. I wanted safety, if that was even possible here. Wherever 'here' was.

"Get her, Aib! Go, you shank! Go!"

My heart was pounding radically behind the rib cage that acted as shelter, pushing against it and for a moment I considered if the organ could actually burst from a chest. God, what a way to die.

I could hear him behind me. His thunderous footsteps as he followed after and heavy breathing were growing more and more audible and I wasn't quite sure if it was my adrenaline or a gust of wind that carried me, but I had begun to lengthen our distance. He seemed to notice and was determined to not let me escape another time.

With a cry, he lunged for me. His strong hands grabbing at my feet, thus sending me straight into the ground with a great thud, knocking the air from my lungs, but I didn't give up. Desperation filled me and I did all I could to wiggle and crawl out of his reach but he was incredibly persistent. The second I had kicked him away, his hands were elsewhere, refusing to give me freedom. After a long and painful struggle full of angered screams, he had managed to get me to sit on my knees, back pressed to his chest as he fought for my hands, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's okay, Greenbean, it's okay. I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

I gave in. I gave up in this impossible journey where I was clearly outnumbered. I was screwed.

My fists were moved into one of his, still held to my chest while the other crept up to my face, smoothing the tangles back and guiding me towards steadying my breath. To this day won't admit it, but in that moment I admired how rough and dirtied they looked. It showed that he was a hard worker and apparently, I enjoyed that trait. So far, I was up to three facts about myself.

With the storm residing in my chest slowly fading, my sight had been returned to me and I was able to see the world around me more clearly, though there wasn't much of it to see. In front of me, a seemingly endless forest and stretched along its boarders were strange, hand crafted buildings made with a mix of wood and stone, looking to be about half finished. There was a fairly decent sized pen filled with livestock, resting in the mud or casually wandering about and nipping at the ground and scattered gardens all across the field, mostly next to the small areas of water and only six visible bodies. They stood at the hole I had jumped from, struggling to hoist the barrels and crates that had been delivered.

This entire scene was fairly bland, to me. It looked like a simple farm. It was the lack of hills and landscapes or blue sky in the distance that really caught my attention. It was darkness.

It was the end of this world.

I felt my captives arms loosen around me, but refusing to completely give up his hold, not entirely trusting me just yet. "You're not gonna run again, are you?"

"N-nowhere-nowhere to run to," I choked out in disbelief, my burning and tearful eyes staring at the enormous walls that caged us in this hunk of land, the moss and ivy decorating it's otherwise boring grey surface. The stains of the Earth smeared over its base and slowly creeping upward but never going higher than a few feet, which was nothing when you took in the entire picture.

"Wh-where-" "The Glade," he breathed, arms unhooking and allowing me to slump in defeat, completely entranced and terrified by the structure built all around us and in order to see it all, I spun in circles, my knees digging holes into the ground as I went and before I knew it, my chest began to heave once more though I wasn't taking in enough air, making me feel woozy. I unknowingly placed a hand on the boys leg, keeping myself steady as I swayed to the side. His reaction was one of compassion, rather than him swatting me away.

His warm hands cupped my face, pulling me to face him though I was still focused on the thick stone.

"I'm so sorry."


	2. Sore Loser

**This takes place two years and some-odd months after the prologue! Also, if you have a thing against gay male characters, turn away.**

**I own nothing and no one except for Gwen and Aib!**

My muscles were screaming in pain as I pushed myself further and further into the forest, my heart beating so fast and so loud that I could feel it in my throat and hear it so clearly. It was deafening. It was a storm inside my own chest and there was no sight of it ever ending. I could feel myself wearing down and craving to give in. To end this torture that I had put myself through. But I wasn't one to quit and I knew I'd live to regret it if I had held my hands up in surrender. So I ignored the ache in my legs and the dripping sweat on my brow, continuing to run and dodge every fallen tree and boulder.

And the headstones, which in the beginning, I would apologize for stepping over their resting places, feeling that I had disrespected them. But I've since given up. They weren't there anymore and even if they were, they'd laugh at me for feeling so guilty.

I let out a small hiss as I felt the branches smack against my cheeks, more than likely leaving small marks or even cuts in their wake. Despite having experienced much worse, every small amount of pain sent a wave of electricty through my body, though no one ever knew. I haven't expressed my pain vocally in years. I would let out huffs of breath and hum, biting my tongue. A trait I had developed. I had to be stronger, or at least appear it and save the screams for something more worthy.

With my vision now less than what it used to be, my sight was limited and I had to do a complete turn in order to study my surroundings, which had cost me valuable time and made me slightly dizzy. I could hear someone out there. He was close but not close enough to see and I was thankful for that. If I couldn't see him, he couldn't see me and that meant that I was safe.

For now.

I just had to keep running. But having already run for hours on end today, keeping up this task was a little more than difficult. I just had to force it until the other had worn down. There was no way he could keep this up as long as I could. Though breaks did happen once or twice, leaving me to take refuge and hide within nature to regain the slightest amount of energy. Sometimes I even sat in silence to watch him walk right past, calling for me. His hands usually balled into fists, annoyed that he had yet to capture me. Once the hunter was long gone, I'd take off again in the opposite direction and now, here I was. Back on my feet and weaving in between trees. My chest heaved and my legs trembled with every leap, begging for some rest. But I could see the fading light in the field now and I was desperate for it. My safe haven.

"Come on, girl! I'm getting tired of this!"

He was close. Way too close. Where had he even come from? I was more than likely caught up in the idea of being home free and didn't even realize he had turned around, heading straight for me without realizing it.

I instantly dove over a large, moss covered log and pressed my back against it, curling up into the tiniest ball to keep myself hidden, waiting in the silence. I forced my aching lungs and heavy breathing to slow. Which was a lot harder than you would think.

My body froze as I registered the sounds of his racing foot steps slowing to a halt, the leaves crunching beneath feet. His breathing was heavy and pained by all of the effort he had put in to trying to track me down. I risked my safety to peek over the edge, moving as slowly as possible to not attract attention. He stood with hands on hips, hair sticking to his forehead with the sweat on his brow which was quickly wiped away, turning on his heels to scan the area. He was becoming discouraged and I was getting more and more lucky the further I ran. He was rapidly reaching the end of his patience and energy and the field lit up by sunlight was in my sight. I eyed it carefully, fingers tapping anxiously against the softening bark as I planned the next few moves. Which, really, there weren't many to choose from. I could sit here and wait for him to possibly head in the other direction, sit and possibly get caught or make a run for it.

But if I was going to be captured, I wanted it to be while I was fighting for my freedom. I couldn't just lay down and let him win.

So I ran.

I had used the tree to propel my body further, whether it actually worked or just humored my imagination, I had no idea. But I felt liberated as I effortlessly moved. A small grin slowly forming as I could predict the moment I threw my hands up, a victorious cry dancing in the wind. But as quickly as the smile had come to light, it had fallen as I felt a hard step just behind me and soon fingers were locked in the loop of my pants. He gave a harsh tug, damn near ripping the fabric apart as I was pulled backwards. In a panic I had leaped forward, but I only met the ground and was dragged with jagged nails clawing at the dirt. I was quickly flipped onto my back and with my captor now straddling me, I was only left with my hands to fend him off. But he knew all of my tricks.

"Oh, just give up already!" he shouted as he took hold of my wrists, pinning them down just next to my head with a grip strong enough to show that he had the power, but light enough so that I wouldn't be hurt.

"I already won!"

With a huff, I allowed my body to relax and rest against the cool ground. Ignoring the small tinges of pain as rocks pressed into my skin and put all of my attention on Aibs face. Glaring up at his stupid mug, clearly annoyed by how happy he was.

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a sore loser." "I never lose," I retorted in a obvious bitter tone.

He released his hold on me and pulled back so that he was sitting comfortably on my pelvis. Not even bothered about the weight that was added to my already aching body. "I know! Which is why I'm going to treasure this moment. I can't wait to tell-" The boy hovering above me, paused. Curious eyes watching as I looked to his torn shirt quizzically, eyeing something that wasn't there. "What is that?"

My trap was successful as soon as it had been set.

"What?" Looking down to see what had been so distracting, I took this opportunity to curl beneath his arm and smash my elbow into his rib cage. Caught of guard, he gasped in pain, clutching the abused area and gave me unwilling freedom. His figure swayed, weakened and I wasted no time in shoving him to the soft ground, earning a thud as the curly haired fool met the dirt and rubble. I immediately pounced, repeating his earlier actions but instead locking my legs around his own.

"Okay," he winced. Blinking rapidly to try and regain his sight. "I wont tell anyone." "Promise?" When there was no answer received, my hold tightened and he surrendered instantly. "Yes! Yes, I promise! Now get off of me!" Now satisfied, I smiled and quickly unhooked my legs, moving to stand and offering my hand as a truce, which he waved off in an act of independence.

With a sigh, he brushed the dirt from his pants and then the sweat dripping from his hairline, thus smearing the Earth over the freckled skin. My shoulders shook as I did all I could to hold back the laugh, and he noticed.

"What?" "Boy, you look and smell like klunk." He frowned at my honesty, looking me over.

"Don't hold back or anything. You know, you don't look so great either, ya shank! When was the last time you bathed?" I made a face. Half annoyed by the question yet also amused by his concern over my hygiene. "None of your business, that's when."

Aib shook his head, a crooked smile shining before he turned away, heading towards my original destination and safe zone; The Glade. I went to follow after, but in a much slower pace so that I remained behind him and out of view so that I could casually sniff myself. Startled by the smell, which wasn't as bad as I was expecting, I reeled back and kept my distance. It was hard to keep up that sort of thing when the entire Glade was nothing but hardworking men. Ones stench would cancel out the other and so on. No one noticed because we all smelled. Plus, after running for hours on end, there was little to no motivation to even think about standing still under the water when I could be off of my feet and fast asleep. Today, I had made an exception. I could tell Aib was having a bit of an off day so to cheer him up I suggested a good ole fashioned game of hide and seek. With a twist. He insisted that I instead go rest, but I pushed and pushed and I could tell he was happy that I did.

I watched as my partner moved towards the gardens and though I couldn't see his face, I knew his eyes were locked onto a busy blonde that could feel the attention but fail to address it.

Not out here, anyway.

Veering off, I made my way towards the Homestead where I could smell dinner being prepared and as the small hint of spice coating smoked meat, my stomach gave a roar. Dirtied hands flew to the surface, pressing down, hoping to quiet the internal chaos but it only grew as I followed my nose. It led me beyond the squeaking door, no handle to turn just a hunk of wood to push past. It slowly closed behind me, failing to meet the wall so that the wind could rush in. Curious as to what was on the menu, I peaked beyond the pitiful archway and found a man chopping away at some vegetables, though freezing once he noticed he was no longer alone.

The knife in his hand was in an iron grip, a sharp ring echoing as the blade slid against the board, its point aimed directly at me.

"Don't you shuckin' think about it, Cyclops. I know what you're up to!" I shot him a curious look. One brow raised as I peered at him through the fallen strands of hair. "You ain't comin' in here to sneak anything! You're gonna wait like the rest of 'em."

"Oh, slim it, Frypan!" I spat, turning on my heel in an instant and heading towards the other side of the pitiful house. Hands already at work of removing the tattered fabric that covered my torso as well as the bag almost always draped over my shoulder. "You're food ain't that good, anyway." I muttered as I made my way into the bathroom, tossing the items off to the side just next to the now closed door. Like clockwork, scar littered fingers loosed the knots in my boots, kicking them off as I twisted and tugged at the pants until they fell to my ankles, joining the pile of rags. With a few flips, the water began to spill out from the aged shower head and as I watched it collect into one small pool, swirling down the drain, my arms suddenly felt heavy. There was one piece left to remove and I was hesitant. Part of me was tempted to just leave it be but I knew it needed to be washed as well.

Stepping under the lukewarm water, my trembling limbs rose, the flesh bound tools slowly pulling the knot apart until the cloth had fallen from my face, resting in my palms. As I expected, it was covered in dirt, sweat stains, a few eyelashes and even a little bit of dried blood from scabs absentmindedly picked. Rough thumbs began to sooth over the material as the water soaked in, easing out the colors, mesmerized as it slid across my skin and to the floor below.

And suddenly I got that feeling.

That feeling of being watched.

One would think the small window high above would guide you to unwanted attention, and it often did as boys let their curiosity take control or they would silence the ache in their bones to start some chaos with a prank by dumping dirt or bugs in. Or it was as simple as throwing things at the glass, hoping to scare me. But this was much worse than that. This was worse than some shanks trying to start trouble. Them, I could handle. I could tackle them to the ground and make it so that they never saw me as just a piece of meat or someone to mess with and they would leave me be.

For awhile, anyway.

But for years I have let this girl haunt me, ever since the incident, and I did all I could to push her aside and pretend she didn't exist. But she always caught up with me in the quiet moments. When there were no voices to distract and no jobs to be done to keep my world moving. When it all stood still, I could feel her eyes on me. She was begging for my attention, screaming for me to simply look at her but I never raised my head. Instead, I bit down on my teeth, a scowl on my face as I focused on the wrap and scrubbed the filth away, my thumbs turning raw with the force applied. The sooner this was over the sooner I could get back to the noise. Avoiding her for just a little bit longer.

When my body was cleaned, dried and dressed, I wasn't disappointed to find a fire roaring with life and the gladers wandering around it. Some eating, some talking and making jokes to earn loud laughter or groans or annoyance and the sight, though it was usually a daily occurrence, never failed to bring a smile to my face. Knowing my boys were safe and happy, despite the situation. They beckoned me to join them. Their hands waved and toothy grins called my name, hopeful for some company they didn't often get. But when I shook my head, standing near the exit of the homestead with arms crossed, they took no offense. Nor did they scoff at my lack of interest. If I was up to socializing, I'd make it known. Instead, I wondered with lazy legs, keeping my attention in the direction of the wall. I struggled with keeping focus on it. The darkness attempting to swallow it. But the prison was outlined by stars, acting as a guide and I followed, undeterred by the cries of the monsters held inside.

The sounds gradually became louder with every step. Their nightmarish cries had sent a chill dancing up my spine and my heart shutter within my chest but I did not falter. I knew I was safe on this side, so I kept moving forward until I stood just in front of a patch of thick vines and brush, the screams echoing inside of my bones. With an unsteady breath, hands parted the curtain, revealing a small window and a pitch black view. Which was not typical. I should have seen at least a shimmer of moonlight dancing through the corridors. I thought that perhaps, my sight had gotten worse and it was taking me just a little longer to focus. I leaned in, eyes narrowed and face twisted as I looked closer. But I saw nothing.

It was what I heard that had me frozen. Limbs locked in place and blood seeming to still in my veins.


	3. Constellation

Metal grinding on metal, clicking as it met stone, moving. In a matter of seconds the blank scene was filled by rows and rows of teeth as a Grievers mouth tried to devour me. Its face repeatedly smashing against the wall with a booming thud, not caring about the pain as the desperate urge to kill overwhelmed it. I found myself thrown back as one of its robotic legs dove into the window. With the speed and power behind these attacks, I would have been skewered in an instant, yet the glass held no marks as it continued the assault. I approached once more, the initial shock fading away like dust into the air. Hands held tightly in fists and bottom lip threatening to split open as teeth clamped down onto the fragile skin. I wanted to rip this creature apart with my bare hands. I wanted to unleash the anger that's been boiling under my skin for years but they had the upper hand. They always did.

It didn't matter if I was able to sink a blade into its side or burn their eyes. They had the needles, the teeth, an abnormal amount of arms and far more mass to crush you with. So the only way I could retaliate was to spit at the glass, a scowl etched into my face, clearly unsatisfied.

"You're shucked in the head, you know what?" a familiar voiced asked from somewhere in the background. Their footsteps on the soft grass becoming audible as our distance closed and in a few seconds, his body lingered next to mine, watching the scene unfold, not even flinching as the crazed beasts grew more violent.

"You're about the only shank here that actively seeks out a Greiver. I'd say you're lookin' to die but I know you ain't that stupid." I chuckled at the comment before we slipped into silence. We studied the creature beyond the wall as it realized that we were unobtainable. His snarl pressed to the glass, his huff of annoyance fogged up the surface before he slowly wandered off, though we could still hear him lingering nearby, possibly looking for a way out to us.

"I should'a pulled you out a long time ago," the leader mumbled, causing me to shake my head, stifling a small laugh, my eyes falling to watch my foot roll a fairly large rock beneath it. "But I know you would've run right back. I can't tell if your stubbornness is admirable or reckless." Having my eyes now adjusted to the dark, I could see out of the corner of my eye as his body turned to face me. "I just don't want this to become an obsession, you hear me? You got lucky that one time. Don't let it get that close again. We need you strong. We need you focused-" "So you like to remind me," I shot back, kicking the rock forward, causing it to shatter into multiple pieces as it hit the wall. "At least every few months." Cocking my head towards him, I could see his teeth as he went to speak but I cut him off before he ever got the chance. Not interested in some long winded speech that echoed in the back of my skull.

"What is it that you wanted, Alby? I know you didn't come out here to just chat. We both know you ain't the type." "You're right," he huffed, turning away for just a second to bend over and pick something up, offering it to me on a spread hand. It was a plate full of tonight's dinner and I didn't think twice about snatching it from his hands, grabbing a few raw vegetables and shoving them into my mouth, barely chewing them as I was eager to fill my stomach. On my second small handful, I pointed a stern finger at Alby as my eyes narrowed, mumbling, "Tell Frypan that I practically inhaled his food and I'll break your fingers."

Alby merely chuckled in response and with his hand against my back, I was guided back to the large group. No one questioned where I had gone or acted as if I ever left. Chuck was the most excited over my return. He took my hand and dragged me towards the circle where quite a few bodies were gathered to watch Gally challenge some poor boys wanting to prove themselves. I watched the short lived wrestling matches while I finished off my meal, the plate immediately plucked from my hands once it was emptied and carried off to be cleaned. I remained seated for quite some time. Simply watching the world around me rumble and shake with the final bursts of energy before it all crashed. Gally looked to me as one of his opponents fell at his feet, cocking an eyebrow, almost asking me without words if I wanted to fight him and while any other time I would have said yes, my mind was hazy tonight and though most wouldn't notice, one definitely did. His presence was warmer than the fire that faded into the night. His hands calloused but comforting as they held my own in his lap, thumbs smoothing over the cleaned skin.

I immediately found myself curling up to his side, head resting on his shoulder and allowing my eyes to slip shut. Feeling total peace consume me whenever he was at my side. He was my security. Which seemed odd, considering he couldn't kill a bug even if he wanted to.

I took to him the moment I arrived in the Glade. His sun-kissed face was the first my eyes had laid upon and since that moment, we've been inseparable. We were magnetic and it was obvious.

Aib was the one to see me off every morning before I entered the maze and the first one to greet me when I returned. He was the one to carry me through the most horrendous things even when I claimed to be stable. One of the many reasons I was still here was so that this beautiful creature could find his way home. He deserved it. Even if he was scared beyond belief of the journey.

Most assumed we were two kids in love and when he found himself falling in the direction of another boy, he was terrified and together we held the illusion and even took Chuck under our wing and acted as his guardians, even though technically, everyone in the Glade was his guardian. This imaginary relationship lasted about two weeks and a few days before Aib felt he couldn't hold it in anymore.

I found them kissing by the Deadheads and instead of simply slipping out of the picture without them ever knowing I had been there, I had made a scene.

"Aib, how could you!" The two real lovebirds pushed apart, blood drained from their faces as they looked to me. "Think of our son! What will Chuck say?"

A confused Newt looked to Aib, who only eyed me in total annoyance and disbelief that I had charged in and ruined the moment.

Lips pressed to my hair, giving a long kiss before slightly nudging my tired body.

"Let's get you to bed, little bird."

Without hesitation, I stood with him, our fingers intertwined as he more or less dragged me to his sleeping bag that we often shared and as we slipped inside, our bodies immediately assumed the positions. Aib rested on his back, one arm twisted and resting under his head while the other over his stomach. I was on my side, pressed against him with head on his chest and hands coiled up to my torso, fidgeting whenever a small gust of wind would glide over my back. We stared up at the stars in silence, his fingers absentmindedly running through the top of my hair. Gently pulling at it so it was torn from the bun I had placed it in. The atmosphere was peaceful as the chaos began to die. It was getting more and more quiet and I could feel the anxiety building. I didn't want the thoughts forced into the background to come rushing forward again. Aib took note of my now uneven breathing and fists gripping at his shirt. His body shifted beneath the thick cover, as if preparing himself to pick up the pieces that were waiting to fall. But they wouldn't.

Not if he could help it.

"Do you see that?"

My eyes followed his index as it aimed to the sky at nothing in particular, though I squinted in hopes to spot it, but failed. "No? What am I looking f-" The air was forced from my lungs as he pulled me in closer so that I could at least make an attempt at meeting whatever was in his sights. "That triangle shape, do you see it?" He drew the shape in the air, assisting me just in case I had forgotten. My eyes desperately roamed the darkness high above, studying every pattern of twinkling stars and when I finally found what he was talking about, I gave a shrug. "Okay, yeah, I see it. What about it?" His hold loosened, letting me slump off to his side, though still touching. "It's a constellation-The First Pyramid."

Pyramids.

Something Aib seemed to at least know a little bit about them, whereas I only knew the name. I didn't know what they were or what they were used for and though I could see the shape, I had no idea what a real pyramid looked liked. Despite my lack of knowledge over such things, I called him out on his lie and he reacted, feeling very passionate about this fake constellation.

"I'm being serious!" "I know you are! That doesn't mean it's true," I mumbled, seeming unimpressed though still holding a sly smile. "Whatever," he said under his breath. Eyes still darting across the sky in search for more constellations and when he found them, he would immediately perk back up and start pointing again. Talking excitedly about the most random shapes he found and I did my best to focus on his words. But the warmth I was wrapped up in had caused my eyes to grow heavy and my body to completely relax. Sleep was coming and I tried to fight it off. My eyes would shoot open and I would take a sudden gasp of air, nodding at whatever he was saying but the more I fought, the heavier my head felt and I knew I wasn't going to make it much longer. So with a kiss pressed to my head, I surrendered, his voice whispering "Goodnight," just before the blackness swallowed me.


End file.
